WHO IS YOUR MINISTERIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE?
We are a KSU psychology professor, a former professor of communication and two former elementary-school teachers. We are a working journalist, a Kinko’s design specialist, a former NASA engineer, a former KSU vice provost and a longtime interim minister who has served congregations in seven states.
“What really stands out is this particular group’s dedication
and their determination to see a full picture.”
— Committee chair Kathie Slater, former member of the search committee that brought us Rev. Melissa
We are the father of a young child and mothers of grown adults who went all the way through UUCK Religious Education. We are Summer Institute groupies and never-beens. We are former or current members of the care team, the social-justice committee, the finance committee, the centennial committee, the religious-education committee, the board of trustees — two of us were moderator and the search committee that brought us Rev. Melissa. We are UUCK greeters and pancake-makers, photograph-takers and choir members, instrumentalists, worship associates, Sacred Song Circle singers and former co-chairs of the capital campaign. We bring seasoned UUCK voices with as many as 53 years’ membership and new eyes with only one.
In short, your 2017 Ministerial Search Committee is a diverse group with a variety of talents, skills and interests and at least one important thing in common: Dedication to the task at hand.
“I am just really impressed with the dedication and the energy people are putting into this search process,” says committee chair Kathie Slater. “It’s not just that they want to do the job. They want to do the job incredibly well.”
Your search committee was chosen through a careful process that began with every member of the church being asked to electronically submit the names of up to three nominees. Any member who didn’t submit a recommendation was personally contacted. Some 70 people were nominated, many of them multiple times, by the congregation.
The UUCK Leadership Development Committee and members of the board of trustees gave careful consideration to these recommendations, also to personally expressed interest, skill sets and diversity. Ultimately 12 people were contacted to serve. A few people, most notably folks with young families, turned down the nomination because of the time commitment required; each member of the committee must be prepared to work 250-400 hours during the one-year search process. (Look for a timeline soon in the social hall to let you know exactly what we hope will happen during this year, as we head toward Fall 2018 and a new settled minister!)
One month into committee work, indeed, and your search committee of nine is right on schedule, having finished the interview portion of its Voices of the UUCK project. Some 69 people, more than one-third of the church, were interviewed one-on-one (19), in focus groups (44 participants in 11 groups) and by questionnaire (six).
Next up is a survey, which is being carefully crafted by internal experts and likely will be used as a model in UU searches throughout the nation, Kathie said. Supervised by MSC member Becky Cline, a former KSU professor of communication, it is a tool that must diligently ask the right questions to present a true picture of the church for incoming ministerial applicants.
Next up: The Voices of the UUCK survey.
Watch this space for details to learn how you and your beloved church community
can benefit from your participation. (There will be prizes!)
“The church has entrusted us to make the best decisions. And from the looks of this committee and how they are working together, they take that trust seriously,” says Kathie.
As always, your search committee welcomes ideas, questions, comments and concerns. We are sincere when we say we are here to serve you.
Your ministerial search committee members are:
Kathie Slater, chair
Becky Cline
Don Easterling
Saul Flanner
Bonnie Harper
Debra-Lynn Hook
Kathy Kerns
Rod Thompson
Gene Wenninger